Expanded seminar programme with increased focus on eco topics
Rising designers from Hong Kong transform exhibitors’ fabrics into cutting-edge fashion
Once again, Interstoff Asia Essential reinforced its status in the region as the home of cutting-edge fabrics, up-to-the-minute trend information, inspiring fashion collections and the latest industry information. Buyers, exhibitors, fashion designers and seminar speakers alike all praised the fairs uniqueness in the Asia-Pacific for being more than just a place to source fabrics.
A total of 7,244 visitors from 42 countries and regions passed through the doors from 13 – 15 March 2013. Senior General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd, Ms Wendy Wen, was pleased with the results of the show as it wrapped up. “We continue to position Interstoff Asia Essential not just as a sourcing fair, but as an event where buyers, exhibitors and designers can get the latest updates and ideas in design and trends, new technologies and eco-friendly products and processes,” she said. “The quality of exhibitors that choose to showcase their fabrics and accessories here, as well as the big-name international buyers who source from them, supports our belief that Hong Kong is the perfect place in Asia to achieve these aims.”
Exhibitors satisfied with calibre of buyers
This year, a total of 229 exhibitors from 10 countries and regions took part in the fair, including from China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Macau, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand. A lot of these exhibitors come to Hong Kong to take advantage of the major fashion brand buying houses that are located here. “Many of the international brands have their buying offices in Hong Kong,” said Mr Tsuyoshi Osada from Kowa Company Ltd of Japan. “They are interested in what we have to offer. The number of visitors to our booth has been good,” he explained on the final day of the show.
This sentiment was shared by Mr James Nam, President of NK Fabric from Korea. “This is my second time here and business has been better at the fair this year than last year,” he commented. “We met over 100 different customers including Abercrombie & Fitch, Donna Karan, Marks & Spencer, Next, Target and Zara, and they were interested in placing orders.”
Gaining access to European buyers is another reason many exhibitors choose to participate in this fair. One such company is Teijin Hong Kong Ltd which, among many other things, produces advanced fibres and composites. “We focus mainly on European markets, with a small proportion of our business in China” said Mr Alvin Chan. “This is the third year we have exhibited at the fair, and overall it helps us to gain new customers from European markets.”
Ms Susan Yu, Sales Manager for Zhejiang Phoenix Village Textile Co Ltd from China was also satisfied. “I met with Hong Kong garment exporters here; in fact most of them have export businesses in Europe and the US and have specifically asked for our fabrics,” she said. Ms Yu also found the business matching service very useful, saying she could “have a detailed talk with the buyers and better understand their requirements.”
Increasingly, exhibitors are seeing this fair as the perfect opportunity to meet eco buyers. Everest Textile Co Ltd from Taiwan, which specialises in eco products, is one such company. “We see the fair as a good chance to sustain our eco brand image and maintain relationships with old customers,” said Ms Julia Kao.
Buyers to Interstoff Asia Essential were also pleased with the opportunities presented to them. Ms Olivia Wildes, Design Manager for Kate Spade has been to the show a few times before. “I came to meet some of our existing vendors from Taiwan, and I also discovered some new China mills that will be really good for us,” she said. “It’s always good to come to one place to see if I can discover something new. I’ve found some good leads on what I'm looking for here.”
The sentiment of finding everything in one place was shared by Ms Liza Lam, Vice President of Asia Sourcing at Charming Shoppes Inc. “We joined the business matching programme here to meet with exhibitors from the Shaoxing County pavilion. It’s good that I can see them all here in a one-stop shop meeting, and it helps introduce us to some new suppliers by going direct to the manufacturers,” she commented.
While Ms Amy Mann, Senior Testing Manager for Ann Taylor Sourcing Far East Limited, appreciated the range of eco fabrics suppliers. “This fair contains very rich elements in terms of exhibitors, especially those with eco materials,” she said, adding that the seminar programme also encouraged her to visit the show frequently.
Expanded seminar programme with increased focus on eco topics
To provide the industry with the latest information on eco issues, a much-expanded seminar programme was offered this year. This included seven seminars on certifications and standards, and one on sustainability. These were lead by representatives from the likes of GOTS, Testex AG, WRAP and WWF.
Ms Shirley Han, Representative for Greater China for Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), was pleased with the response from the audience after her seminar. “I talked to people who visited the seminar last year and were back again to learn about new developments,” she said. “I am very pleased that people are interested in sustainability issues and want to keep up-to-date on the latest information.”
Mr Johnny Shen was one such person. As President of Ever Shine Y&F Co Ltd, a supplier of eco fabrics, he came to Interstoff Asia Essential to learn about changes in the industry. “The fair is good at organising fringe events, such as trend forums and the eco seminars which assist us to forecast the future trends,” he observed.
Fashion trends are another strong focus of the fair, with the ever-popular trend forum displaying next season’s trends, as well as seminars delivering insights into the popular fabric colours and patterns for Spring / Summer 2014. It is this combination of fashion trend displays and seminars, alongside the latest fabrics from exhibitors that makes Interstoff Asia Essential a niche fair in the region. Ms Geneviève Flaven, from Style-Vision in France, who conducted a seminar on women’s fashion accessories and casual wear, summed it up nicely. “I want people to learn about the trends in this seminar, which will then help them navigate throughout the show and make their selection of fabrics easier,” she said after her seminar.
Visitors could also browse through the Research & Education Zone, created in partnership with the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textile and Apparel (HKRITA), which featured unique, cutting-edge garment and textile design applications. While in the Designers’ Studio, buyers could see up-close the outfits that had been modelled on the catwalk during four fashion shows.
Rising designers from Hong Kong transform exhibitors’ fabrics into cutting-edge fashion
As well as learning about the trends for next season, visitors and exhibitors at the fair were able to witness how the latest fabrics would look as finished products. Seven of Hong Kong’s up-and-coming fashion designers used fabrics sponsored by 18 exhibitors to showcase their talents in the Fabric to Fashion catwalk events.
One such designer was Erik Cheung, who brought his BINAR brand to the fair with a collection titled ‘Reconfiguring the Landscape of Memory’. He utilised fabrics from exhibitors in the Shaoxing County pavilion, which was making its debut appearance this year.
Speaking after the catwalk show, Mr Cheung praised the opportunity the fair provides for collaboration between industry players. “Interstoff Asia Essential has provided me with a chance to meet different kinds of customers. Exhibitors kept asking me how to use the fabrics to turn them into products. And I met a good supplier here from Korea, and one from Japan, with very interesting fabrics, and we have started a collaboration.” Mr Cheung also met with a representative from Lane Crawford who was interested in his handbag collection, proving once again that Interstoff Asia Essential is the perfect event for buyers, suppliers and designers to come together to do business.
The next edition of Interstoff Asia Essential will be held from 25 – 27 September, also at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The Spring edition returns next year from March 19 – 21, 2014.
For details on this and other upcoming Interstoff Asia Essential trade fairs and events, please visit: www.interstoff-asia.com.
For information on all Messe Frankfurt textile fairs worldwide, please visit: www.texpertise-network.com.
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is Germany’s leading trade fair organiser, with 538* million euros in sales and 1,891* active employees worldwide. The Messe Frankfurt Group has a global network of 28 subsidiaries and approx. 50 international Sales Partners, giving it a presence for its customers in more than 150 countries. Events “made by Messe Frankfurt” take place at more than 30 locations around the globe. In 2012, Messe Frankfurt organised 109* trade fairs, of which more than half took place outside Germany. Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds, featuring 578,000 square metres, are currently home to ten exhibition halls and an adjacent Congress Center. The company is publicly owned, with the City of Frankfurt holding 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
* preliminary numbers (2012).
Media Contact
Mr Liam Rodden
Tel +852 2230-9217
Fax +852 2519-6800
liam.rodden@hongkong.messefrankfurt.com
www.messefrankfurt.com.hk
www.interstoff-asia.com
